The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-03-30
"PHILATELISTS."
WHICH MEANS MEN WHO COLI
LECT POSTAGE STAMPS.
A Mania With Which Many Persons
Have Been Scized-BiS Prices
Paid For Rare Post
age Stamps.

The man who has the mania for collect
ing postage stamps is known, technically,
as a philatelist. The word is derived from
the Greek, and is translated, Glove of a
tax" Mr.. Bogert, President of the
National Philatclical Society of New
York, thinks the title is not the most
happy one that could be procured; but,
as it has gone into general use, both in
this and other countries, it is too late to
change it. There is an impression among
the general public that stamp collecting
is confined to boys and eccentric men and
women. This impression, however, is
wrong. A great many bankers and brokers
in this and other cities, who have proved
by their business successes that they arc
possessed of sound judgment, are enthusi-
astic stamp collectors.
The postage stamps used in the world
run up into the thousands, and book of
seventy-four pages, printed in fine type,
is required to catalogue them. The
United States government issues at the
present time 200 stamps of different kinds
(not including revenue stamps, which
range in value from one to ninety cents
apiece. A complete collection of these
and other foreign stamps, of recent dates,
unused, is worth in the philatelic market
about twice their face value.
Just now stamp collecting is booming.
Never before in the orld's history were
there so many engaged in it. There are
in Paris 1S0 wholesale dealers in stamps,
and large number of periodicals. A
single wholesale dealer in the southern
part of France imported last year 3,000,-
900 foreign postage stamps. Three years
ago son of the Duchess de Gallina pos
sessed collection of stamps for which he
had paid e7O,000, and his library con-
sisted of nearly 300 volumes. NJ. de
Rothschild's collection is valued at e10,-
900, and it is shown only to special
friends. At the Paris Mint large collec-
ton of postage stamps is kept. N. Philip
Farran owns 1900, 900 stamps and he en-
ploys two librarians to keep them in
order. The best collection of English
postage stamps belongs to Mr.. Philbrick,
Q. c. The Duke of Edinburgh is nota-
BILE collector of stamps.
The first postage stamp of which there
is any record was issued by the British
Government in 1910: Switzerland and
Brazil came next in 1S43, and the first
postage stamp appeared in the United
States in 1s47. In 1912, however, the
Postmaster N this city issued a few blue
colored oval stamps, bearing the inscrip-
ton, gu. S. City Despatch, " and picture
of Washington, for his own convenience.
Also, in 1845, local stamp was issued at
the New York Post Office with a face
value of five cents. This latter stamp
can be bought now for $3.50. Those Of
the issue of 1842 are worth $75.
The first stamped envelopes issued >by
Sardinia in 1918, if used and in good con.
dition, bring $50 each. Among the
rarest and most expensive French stamps
is the vermilion one-franc of 1S49, worth
$50. Old red Brazilian stamps arc worth
to the collector from $25 to $50. Hawaiis,
1852, are valued at $82, and rare Canadian
and Newfoundland stamps fetch $50 and
$55. An Island of Mauritius stamp issued
in 1s47 readily yields its holder $50.
But they are scarcer than hens teeth.
Stamps have recently been issued by
the Congo Free State of the denomina-
tions of 5, 10, 25, and so centimes. They
are printed in bright tint, and bear the
expressive features of King Leopold II.
In connection with these a very neat
postal card has also been issued.
Among American stamps those issued
by the postmaster at Brattleboro, VT, in
1846, are very rare, and readily bring
$3.50 in this city. If attached to the
original envelope the fortunate possessor
can get $3.50 for one of them. There are
less than score of them in existence.
A Baltimore stamp of 1846 recently
turned up in this city and was sent to
Europe, where it was sold for $4OO. The
most valuable stamps are usually sent to
Europe because better prices are got
there. There are not more than three
of the famous Alexandria, Va, fve-cent
black stamps (on buff envelope) in ex-
istcnce, and these three are valued at
$3.50 apiece. There is a Goliad, Texas,
stamp worth $95; Baton Rouge worth
$50; St. Louis, $55; and several others
valued at $50 each. At recent auction
sale the collection of the Rev. MIR. Hoe
necke, of Milwaukee, brought upward of
$1,000.
Eleven stamps, in denominations of
from two to twenty cents, were issued by
the Confederate States of America during
the years 1S61-'63, inclusive. Of these
the most valuable is the ten-cent blue,
1858; an unused one is worth So; used,
81. An unasthenticatcd story is told to
the effect that previous to this issue by
the Confederates, local postmaster made
o stamp for his own use from stamp
used to impress the trade mark on the
soles of shoes.
From the nature of the mania for the
collection of these little bits of paper, it
is hard to estimate how many are engaged
in it in this city, but Mr. Lc Gary, an
amateur collector who lives in Leonard
street, and whom this passion has COM
pletely absorbed, said that, speaking
from an experience of twenty years, he
thought there were at least 10000 people
in this city engaged in chasing the
philatelic butterfly. There were some
twenty dealers, employing from two to
twenty people, and almost innumerable
collectors who went around buying up
old paper and sorting it over for rare
stamps. Stamps issued by telegraph
companies, he said, had commercial
value, and old stamps on medicine bottles
brought good prices. Some of the latter
were affixed to bottles worth only 25
cents, while the stamps were valued by
philatelists at $2.-Nco York Sun.